The Lost Art of Housewarming Gifts

18 October 2016

Where has the housewarming party gone?! I don't know about you guys, but I love the idea of housewarming parties. In fact, my husband and I just moved into a new flat, and I'll be darned if I won't be having a party when we're a bit more unpacked!I am not sure why, but I've never been to a housewarming party held by a younger person. I remember going to a couple with my mother when I was a kid (I think...), but I haven't attended one as an adult. People are moving in and out of my community... but where are the housewarming events? Where are the housewarming gifts? Are millennials just not into parties in houses with food and presents and friends? Is Midwestern culture failing me?! WHY?Even if someone doesn't have a whole party, I think it's a really nice gesture to get them a gift as they move into a new home. I haven't done this enough, but it's now on my hospitality-priority list. Especially as someone that will soon be transitioning into a military lifestyle (lots of moving!), this is an easy, thoughtful way to show someone a lot of love with some small items.As someone who has moved a lot, my number one rule for housewarming gifts is that they must be useful. These people just spent days or weeks packing up their stuff and throwing out all the crap; they don't want more useless knick-knacks. Therefore, I like getting items that either a.) They need to replace for a new home, or b.) they probably threw out old versions of in their home-moving purge. My favorite gifts are the ones I've included here: candles, potholders, and kitchen utensils.

Candles have a way of instantly making a space feel homier, but they're also heavy to pack and oftentimes get thrown out in a moving purge. A new, fresh, seasonal candle can do just the trick in making a place feel like a home. This particular candle is made of soy and is particularly good for meal-centered events because it doesn't have much of a smell when burned. It provides light and ambience without overwhelming the food.Another great item to give as a housewarming gift is a potholder, preferably in a color or pattern that you know will coordinate with the giftee's kitchen. We cooks use potholders all the time, and they can get raggedy quickly. A new one (or even a set in different sizes) is a good motivator to get cooking again! You can even use up scraps from your stash and make your own, like in a tutorial I've shared.

Lastly, a couple small kitchen utensils. I've included in this gift set a wooden spoon and spoon rest. The spoon rest matches the candle, which I love! I don't know about you, but I can never have too many wooden spoons. They always seem to meet untimely deaths by stove-scorching, blender-chewing... random things that mean I am in a constant state of needing to replace them! They're a useful tool that everyone uses, and finding or painting one to match the giftee's kitchen will be even better!

Where to find these giftsSoy candle: from "You and Me" by Jessie Steele, c/o Pavilion giftsPotholder: made of vintage fabric by my grandmother Spoon rest: from "You and Me" by Jessie Steele, c/o Pavilion giftsWooden spoon: similar hereHave you held or been to a housewarming party recently? What are some of your favorite items to give to people who have just moved in?This post was sponsored by Pavilion Gifts in the form of complimentary product. All opinions are authentically my own. If you want to know more about my sponsorship policies, check out my policy page.

6 comments

I've been to a half dozen housewarming parties. It might be a regional thing, more than a generational thing. But the Boston metropolitan area has housewarmings! (I'm going to one this Saturday to be precise :) )

And, I'm not gonna lie, my usual present is a bottle of booze. Usually a decent bottle of wine.

I love housewarming parties, but we don't get a lot of them. Our circle of friends either has people in stable houses they can't afford to leave, or are renters, where moving to a new apartment usually means a disappointing reason for leaving the last place... it can not always be a happy occasion. I like little plants, home made food and scented stuff (candles, those scented sticks) as presents when I do get a chance though.

I've been binge reading your blog after several people have linked to it lately and am very much enjoying it!

Ha, I totally understand. We left our last place because a CAT moved into the attic and peed on my husband's head through our ceiling. True story. But that actually makes us a lot more grateful for our new place, haha!

"Are millennials just not into parties in houses with food and presents and friends?"

I think I was invited to ONE housewarming party. I was thinking about throwing one when my husband and I bought our first house, but it took so long to make it look halfway decent. We didn't have much furniture for the longest time. But I remember reading an article by the New York Times talking about the death of a the house party. The pretty much blamed Millennials' lack of money. They pointed out that many people lived with their parents, or enjoyed the quietness once they were able to move out. Plus food culture has gotten much more crazy (but I think that is a good thing.) You can't just buy a six pack of Budweiser with dinner. You need to cook something nice AND provide nice booze. I mean I have to agree with this. Gotta serve the best right? But the biggest thing I think, is that with the internet sometimes it easier to stay friends with people who are far away and you can't have a housewarming party with those people. I mean most of my friends are an hour or so away.

I can't even remember when was the last time I had a housewarming party myself. My friend who works at flashessay is moving to the new apartment next week so I think I need to give her an idea about the housewarming party since I have these awesome gifts ideas now. Thank you.

About Me

Hey there! My name is Emileigh, and welcome to Flashback Summer, a vintage lifestyle blog with an intercultural twist! I'm an "old soul" in a twenty-something's body, and I adore exploring cultures, sewing, history, controversial subjects, Nutella, the Air Force, traveling, and learning new things. Feel free to stay a bit and look around!